GET TO KNOW CEILI RAIN....BETTER
Well, we all know Ceili Rain pretty well by now. But Bob Halligan took a few minutes to let us see what's new with him and the rest of the gang. Let's Get To Know...Ceili Rain (better)!
RB: So how are things going?
BH: Busier than a one-armed paper-hanger with an itch!
RB: Tell us about some of the cool places that Ceili Rain has played in the last couple of years.
BH: Mexico, California & all over the US--all good fun! (Bob will be doing a tour of Scotland and England from June 3-14.)
RB: When is the new CD coming out?
BH: Hoping for April. (Yes, this interview was done a while ago. As of today, it's not been released yet.)
RB: Do you have a name for the new disc yet?
BH: Getting close--waiting for sponsor-peeps to weigh in.
RB: What would you say is the theme (if any) for the new CD?
BH: God-is-good-all-the-time sorta deal.
RB: Tell us a little bit about how making this CD has been different from your others.
BH: Lots of it was recorded one person at a time.
RB: Will we get to hear some of your new tunes in addition to old favorites on June 20?
BH: Yes, there will be 1-3 songs from the new record for sure. And the usual suspects from days of yore.
RB: What musical influences can be heard in these new tunes?
BH: Beatles, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, AC-DC and miscellaneous other gunk.
RB: Has your focus/mission/inspiration changed at all the longer you're in this biz?
BH: I get more God-centric as I march.
RB: We have a couple of young local Christian rock bands who will be playing earlier in the day. What advice would you give them to be successful?
BH: Creative success is purity of purpose & hard work. Worldly success is anyone's guess. Have a prayerful life!
RB: You play huge venues all over the country. Why is it important to you to be a part of Joyful Noise III?
BH: You guys are grand. As long as you ask us back, we'll be there!
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
BH: It's broken! Radio is tough, so I try to listen to Guitar Hero from Liam's room and go to student concerts at Syracuse University to broaden my outlook!
Thanks again to Bob and to all the band for once again headlining our festival. Bring your dancin' shoes!
GET TO KNOW KICKIN' BRASS...
Most of us know at least some of the members of this group, as you will find out. Many thanks to Alan Shughart for putting the group together in the midst of the many things going on in his life. Here's what he had to say:
RB: So tell me, where'd you get a name like Kickin' Brass?
AS: From the twisted mind of Stefanie Bauman.
RB: Who is playing in the group?
AS: Mark Hasson & Todd Silvius (trumpet), Mary Beth Baringer (French horn), Chuck Neidhardt (tuba) & me (trombone).
RB: Who are some of your musical influences?
AS: As a group, it's hard to narrow it down. A variety of band literature and hymns.
RB: What kind of music can we expect to hear on June 20?
AS: Ragtime, marches, Dixieland, gospel.
RB: How did/will you decide on the music that you'll be playing?
AS: Just by searching through my own and band libraries--looking for tunes that will be fun to listen to and play.
RB: Music ministry can be very effective. Why do you think that music is such a powerful tool for ministry?
AS: Music is something aesthetic and emotional. Everyone can relate to music on some level.
RB: What's your favorite part of playing a live gig?
AS: Again, hard to pin down. Every performance is unique.
RB: What does it mean to you to be a part of Joyful Noise III?
AS: It's just great to be able to help others in need. And it'll be fun being the "house" band this year.
RB: What is hardest--forming a brass group, organizing a classic car show or planning a wedding?
AS: Organizing the car show!! Lisa has handled the wedding and I organize and teach music groups for a living, so that's easy.
RB: Your fiancé, Lisa, is a great singer. Are you going to recruit her to sing with Kickin' Brass?
AS: No, I won't throw her into the fire already. Maybe for JNIV.
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
AS: Manhattan Transfer's Greatest Hits
Thanks again to Shug for letting us get to know Kickin' Brass a little bit. So now we know all about our 6 performers. I hope that these "interviews" have whet your appetite for a great day of music. It should be a wide variety of music that will be fun, inspirational, and uplifting.
GET TO KNOW SWiM...
SWiM will be performing at 4:15pm on June 20th, leading us to Ceili Rain.
RB: Where the name SWiM come from? And why the lower case "i"?
SWiM: The name SWiM initially came from the last names of the founding members--Siegfried, Wolf & Mitchell. The "i" in the name comes from the Greek word icthus, which means "fish". The fish symbolizes the idea that Jesus is the one constant that holds us all together.
When we were working on designing a logo for the band, we had originally just had the letters and the standing icthus as the "i". The logo really looked like it was missing something, and the way the icthus was designed, it may not have been as clear to people that the icthus was more than just a symbol--it was an integral part of the name. Once we added the dot over the fish, the logo finally looked complete. Soon after, we realized that simple using "Swim", when writing emails or online posting made it look like it was just another band name with no real significance. By typing "SWiM", we essentially remind ourselves as well as others what the focus really is and should be for the band--Jesus, symbolized by the icthus.
RB: How long has the band been together?
SWiM: We have been together since 2003--sometimes we don't even realize it's been that long!
RB: Where are the band members from?
SWiM: Alex--Pottstown, JT--Fogelsville, Bobby & Chris--Bath
RB: How did you all come together to form SWiM?
SWiM: We have all been involved with the Emmanuel's Church contemporary worship team for many years. Most of us grew up together and are either related or are close friends. In 2003, former vocalist Chris Wolf was asked to sing in church. He called Scott Siegfried (former drummer and vocalist), Kurt Mitchell (former guitarist and vocalist) and Bobby Siegfried (current guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist) to play with him as he sang. After the service, members of the church family encouraged us to play more often. It was that simple. Shortly thereafter, we called JT Moyer (current bassist) who quickly joined up. 2007 was a challenging and uncertain year for us. In December of 2006, Kurt left the band due to his Air Force obligations and other school commitments at Purdue University in Indiana. In June of 2007, Scott left the band to focus on his college coursework, studying to become an engineer at Lehigh University. At the same time, we had embarked on a long process of re-focusing and planning for a more serious, Spirit-led future. As a part of this new direction, in December 2006, Chris Druckenmiller (current vocalist) was added to the band. Alex Wagner (current drummer) joined up in August 2007. Bobby and JT met Alex while they were serving on a worship team at West Chester University. In January 2009, Chris Wolf left to serve with AmeriCorp in Mississippi. This past year has been one of tremendous growth, challenges, humility and success. We all believe that God is at work within the group and the ministry.
RB: How would you describe your music?
SWiM: We have written over 40 original songs and our creativity keeps leading us to explore new musical horizons. Our hope is that our music will reach people in a different way than your typical Christian group. What makes us different is that, in addition to the "typical" Christian themes, our music is about real life, as everyone experiences it. Our repertoire includes songs about life, love, broken hearts, natural human struggles, growing up and much more. Our sound is created from the wide variety of musical influences pulled form all directions into our music. We are predominantly high-energy rock and reflective rock. Our sound is a bit challenging to describe because, from within those basic classifications, we layer in many other elements such as jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, acoustic rock, piano riffs, as well as others.
RB: Who are some of your musical influences?
SWiM: The group has been influenced by many groups and songwriters over the years. Some of the most notable include Jars of Clay, Gin Blossoms, David Crowder, Dave Matthews, U2, Coldplay, Counting Crows, The Beatles, The Who, Rich Mullins, Gregg Alexander, Chris Tomlin and Lincoln Brewster. Bobby has gone through major songwriting metamorphosis as a result of recent musical influences such as Todd Rundgren, Chris Botti, John Mayer, Steely Dan, Sonny Rollins, Idris Mohammed, Third Eye Blind, Coldplay and Fleet Foxes.
RB: What are you trying to get across to the listeners of your songs?
SWiM: In addition to what we've said above, we hope people will be able to relate to the themes our music touches upon. We hope that people will be able to find hope and inspiration within our music, and perhaps even realize that we never travel through life alone.
RB: Do you write your own songs? If so, where do you get your inspiration for writing them?
SWiM: See above. In addition, the inspiration for a song can come from almost anything. For example, "Sixty-One" was simply inspired by Psalm 61. Our deeper music is always inspired by real-life events and experiences. If your music an lyrics aren't about something you personally lived, or at least understand, listeners can see right through that. Authenticity is key, and the best way to be authentic is to be truthful and write about what you know, feel, experience, dream, and gain through the insights you realize in the world around you--all things that your heart knows all too well.
RB: How do you want an audience to feel after a live SWiM performance?
SWiM: When SWiM audience members leave a performance, we want them to feel energized and excited about the experience. We want them to know that they are not alone in what they may be going through and that being a Christian doesn't mean that you are perfect or better than anyone else. It just means that you are trying to live life the best that you can in response to God's love for us all.
RB: What are some of your favorite places that you've performed?
SWiM: Favorite places include Jordan Lutheran church with some of our #1 fans, Arrowhead Bible Camp with the incredible group from Berean Bible Church and Musikfest, which was simply an unreal experience for all of us.
RB: What's you favorite part of playing a live gig?
SWiM: That part where you stop performing and start worshipping and you feel the audience is there with you in praise to God. You can see the audience responding to the music, riding the very same vibe--it's surreal.
RB: Why are you interested in being a part of Joyful Noise III?
SWiM: We believe part of our responsibility is to use our gifts to help care for others in the community and we enjoy the opportunity to help out with community benefit events. We are very excited to be a part of an event where we can hopefully bring new people out for a great cause. We have done benefits for hurricane Katrina relief, have auctioned SWiM concerts to support PBS television and local colleges, and are booked for other upcoming benefit events in the next few months. Joyful Noise III fits right in with our mission.
RB: Music ministry can be very effective. Why do you think that music is such a powerful tool for ministry?
SWiM: Music is a language that knows no boundaries in terms of age, race, gender or social status. Music as a medium has a unique ability to bring a message to life in a way that mere words never can. Though our music, we have a chance to reach out to people and share God's love with them in a non-threatening way that invites them to ask questions and experience Christian fellowship without some of the other baggage that can keep people away from God.
RB: Where will SWiM be playing in the time leading up to June 20?
SWiM: June 7--4:30--Whitehall Area Churches benefit event for local food bank, Egypt Memorial Park
June 13--All day--LIFT Event at Muhlenberg College
And after:
July 11--1:00-3:00--Trinity Great Swamp UCC, Spinnerstown, PA--Community picnic
July 31--Camping for Christ--Fill the Hill--Middlecreek Church, Kresgeville, PA--Friday night concert--6:30PM
Aug 1--Camping for Christ--Fill the Hill--Middlecreek Church, Kresgeville, PA--Saturday morning worship--9:30AM
Aug 1--Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA--1:30-2:30--Main Street Venue
Aug 5--Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA--1:30-3:00--Plaza Tropical
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
SWiM: Bobby--James Taylor (Best Live)
Chris--Lincoln Brewster
JT--Kenny Chesney
Alex--Mute Math
A huge thank you to all the guys of SWiM for such a thorough description of themselves. We're very happy to have them with us for JNIII!
GET TO KNOW KEITH SPENCER...
RB: First, let's learn a little bit about you. Where are you from?
KS: I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area and currently live in Dresher, PA; close to Willow Grove. After graduating from Penn State, I lived in Orlando for a while, prior to relocating back to the northeast.
RB: Is music your profession?
KS: It was full-time earlier in my career, but these days, I'm really blessed to have feet in two worlds; music and business. I have a relatively steady performance schedule; mostly doing cabaret and guest artist gigs as well as regional theater. I also perform regularly with the 18-piece big band orchestra, the Jump City Jazz Orchestra. It's a blast and just the right balance for me. During the day, I work as an executive for a technical services corporation--i.e. a tech nerd with a really cool day gig. I enjoy both aspects, thoroughly, and for entirely different reasons.
RB: Tell us a little bit about your performing career.
KS: After graduating from Penn State with a degree in marketing, I pursued my love of the stage and concert performance in many professional venues ranging from Philadelphia's Prince Theater to the Broadway tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the Night with Betty Buckley, Anne Crumb and Melissa Manchester. Some of my favorite roles include Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Ragtime); Joe (Show Boat); The Abolitionist (For the Glory: The Civil War Musical); Man 2 (The New Normal: A Spiritual Response in Words and Music, original cast and cast recording), Leading Player (Pippin), Billy (Carousel) and Audrey II (Little Shop of Horrors).
Outside the theatrical stage, I have had the distinct honor of singing back-up vocals for artists such as Roberta Flack, Rosemary Clooney and Sandi Patty. I was semi-finalist in the esteemed American Traditions Competition hosted in Savannah, GA and I was a featured soloist with Walt Disney World's premier a cappella ensemble, Voices of Liberty. I've been part of Bristol Riverside Theatre's Summer Concert Musicale Series and guest artist for organizations such as the Abington Choral Club, Quakertown Community Band, and Choral Arts Guild. As I said previously, I enjoy performing in many cabaret-style shows and with the Jump City Jazz Orchestra.
RB: Who are some of your musical influences?
KS: When I was younger, my mother never had the rock stations on, but she preferred the big band oldies that were featured at the time on Philly's 950 AM, WPEN. So I grew up hearing what I consider some of the most beautiful and romantic music ever written. These days, when folks say "old school" they are typically referring to the '60's or '70's. My "old school" references typically mean music written in the '30's and '40's by Porter, Arlen, Carmichael and Mercer, etc. and made great by legends such as Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hartman, Nat "King" Cole and others. Even more, the contemporary vocalists that demonstrated the right and proper treatment of a song like Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis, Jr. True performers.
The other major influence is my affinity for Broadway music and theatre. So many selections that are now part of my jazz repertory, made their debut on the Broadway stage, but their associated shows have long been forgotten. The tunes last, though.
RB: How do you want an audience to feel after a Keith Spencer solo performance?
KS: Devoid of the desire to throw vegetables.
RB: What are some of your favorite places that you have performed?
KS: When I was on tour, I performed in more cities than I can count, but I'd say that Las Vegas was always a major trip. HUGE venue, lots of lights, appreciative crowds...good time.
RB: What's your favorite part of performing live?
KS: The people. When you're up there and really able to connect with a crowd, as a performer, it's incredibly satisfying. Music can be performed well and people can hear it and appreciate it, but that's not the complete formula. Live performance is much more fluid and dynamic than that. In the best of cases, there's a silent, but reciprocal agreement that the performer will deliver a product in the moment that's customized for that audience at that time. In return, the audience will avoid the tendency to simply watch in "boob tube" mode and actually participate and reward the investment with their own responses and energy. When I works well, there's applause, mutual satisfaction,...and hopefully a bit of artist humility.
RB: Why are you interested in being a part of Joyful Noise III?
KS: I do a ton of performing for secular outfits, which is just fine and I count myself fortunate to have those opportunities. However, Joyful Noise is about praising the Lord and sharing His given gifts through music. It seemed like a great fit for what I love to do and for what I continually try to prioritize in my life. I'm really looking forward to being a part of the afternoon.
RB: What kind of music can we expect to hear from you on June 20?
KS: For some time now, I've been thinking about a program that celebrates the essence and importance of the Negro spiritual and other songs that characterize the African-American experience. Most of the songs, while associated with an unfortunate time in our nation's history, bear out a style and motif that's particularly moving, compelling and unique. Their ultimately joyful focus will hopefully be inspiring and en entertaining to folks who may not typically hear a program of this nature in concert.
RB: How did/will you decide on the music you'll be singing?
KS: When you ruminate on a theme for a while, you essentially just keep adding songs in the hopper over time. The hard part comes in trying to whittle it down and create a cohesive and attention-holding program as opposed to just doing four hours of material that you love, but would likely bore your audience. I'm still paring down, but hopefully, the mix of music will be spiritual and stage material that folks will recognize and enjoy.
RB: Where else can we see you perform in the time leading up to June 20?
KS: If folks are interested in coming by, public performances include Bristol Riverside Theatre's concert production of It Was a Very Good Year that celebrates the pop standards of the late '50's and early '60's. The show runs June 18-28. Also, everyone's welcome to come by any public Jump City Jazz performance. You can see the group's schedule online at www.jumpcityjazz.com.
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
KS: Wow. Great question. The answer surprised even me. On iTunes, included in the Top 25 Most Played, in no particular order:
David Phelps' Life is a Church
Sammy Davis, Jr.'s Yes I Can Collection
Very Best of Daryl Hall and John Oates
Lou Rawls--Finest Collection
Mozart's Requiem
Sweeney Todd, Broadway Cast
Wicked, Broadway Cast
Therapy, anyone?
A big thank you to Keith for taking the time to let us learn more about him. If you haven't heard him sing before, you're in for a treat. A great performer with a wonderful voice.
GET TO KNOW ONCE CALLED SAUL...
RB: Where did the name Once Called Saul come from?
OCS: The name Once Called Saul comes from the bible where Paul, once being called Saul, was not a Christian, being blinded by God and becoming Paul. Everyone is like Saul before knowing Christ. Once they know Christ, they become like Paul. So that's how the name came about. We were all Once Called Saul.
RB: How long as the band been together?
OCS: The band originated in 2003 with members Josh M. & Josh S. We then found Eric, George and Chris to finish the line-up.
RB: Where are the band members from?
OCS: Josh M. & Josh S. are both from Lansdale, PA, George and Eric are from Quakertown and Chris is from Whitehall.
RB: How did you all come together to form the band?
OCS: The band came together from Josh M. and Josh S. putting an ad in the paper looking for musicians who can share the love of Christ and share their talents. We all came from a different background, but we all have the same thing in common--we all love the Lord with all of our hearts and we love music.
RB: How would you describe Once Called Saul's music?
OCS: Our music has been described as energetic and uplifting. There has not been on show where we haven't had someone come up to us and thank us for the positive message that was delivered.
RB: Who are some of your musical influences?
OCS: Our musical influences range. All of us are fans of Creed. But Josh M. plays like Eric Clapton. Josh S. plays like Metallica. George plays like Third Day. Eric has a range of influences from classical to hard rock and the same with Chris.
RB: What do you try to get across to the listeners of your songs?
OCS: The message that we try to get across in our music is that, no matter what you have done in the past, Jesus Christ saves. You will be forgiven and through him, you can be saved.
RB: Do you write your own songs? If so, what's your inspiration when writing them?
OCS: All of our music is written by Once Called Saul. Our inspiration comes from each other and things that we in our personal lives go through.
RB: How do you want an audience to feel after a live Once Called Saul performance?
OCS: We want our audience to feel uplifted and know that no matter what, they can trust Jesus to be there for them.
RB: What are some of your favorite places that you've played?
OCS: I think some of our favorite places varies with each of us. We just love getting the message out there.
RB: What's your favorite part of playing a live gig?
OCS: I think the best part of playing a gig is just being on stage, worshipping God in that moment, not caring if you mess up or who is watching, but just feeling the love of God in your heart and the same reaction from the crowd, just feeling God's love everywhere.
RB: Why are you interested in being a part of Joyful Noise III?
OCS: We would like to be part of Joyful Noise because we know that it's an opportunity to minister and share what God has done for us.
RB: Where will you be playing in the time leading up to June 20?
OCS: As of right now, we have one show in Greenville, New York on Friday, March 27 (obviously, the interview took place earlier in the year). We have busy schedules so we have nothing booked before or after then.
RB: Music ministry can be very effective. Why do you think that music is such a powerful tool for ministry?
OCS: Everyone listens to music. It doesn't matter whether it's rap, rock, classic or whatever, people listen. And to put a positive message in music can make people more interesting in knowing the Lord.
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
OCS: This question is difficult because we are all so different. George would probably have Alterbridge in his player. Eric: Skillet or Demon Hunter. Josh S.: something heavy, Flyleaf, probably. Josh S. loves all music, but I'm gonna say he has Building 429. And Chris: Third Day.
We thank Once Called Saul for taking the time to let us get to know them better. We look forward to hearing them minister and perform on June 20. Keep your eye out for the next Get To Know...!
GET TO KNOW LIVING WATER...
This interview was conducted with Dave Jamison, founder of Living Water.
RB: What is your role with Living Water?
DJ: I am the founder and leader of the band and a keyboard player.
RB: How long has the band been together?
DJ: 6 years with several of the members changing over those years.
RB: How did the band start?
DJ: At Quakertown United Methodist Church, we decided to start a contemporary worship service to further our ministry in the community and to create another worship opportunity at our church. I had previously played keyboards in a Christian rock group for several years and was confident that we could get a group started by recruiting musicians from our membership. Right away I found Jen, our lead singer; Al, our bass player; and others to get the group off the ground. We started leading worship on Sunday evenings at the church.
RB: How many play with the band?
DJ: Lead singer, 3 guitars, 2 keyboards, bass & drums.
RB: How would you describe the music that Living Water plays?
DJ: We cover Contemporary Christian music and worship music. We do songs by Third Day, Chris Tomlin and many other artists.
RB: How do you want your audience to feel after one of your performances?
DJ: Closer to God; like they just had a great time of worship.
RB: What are some of your favorite places that Living Water has played?
DJ: We play every Sunday at Quakertown UMC. We have also played in a parade in Quakertown and in Quakertown Memorial Park.
RB: What's your favorite part of playing a live gig?
DJ: Our ministry is to serve God by leading people to know Him better. Nothing is better than serving Him by doing something I love like playing music.
RB: Where will Living Water be playing in the time leading up to Joyful Noise III?
DJ: Every week on Sunday at 9AM at Quakertown United Methodist Church, 1875 Frier Rd, Quakertown, PA, 19851
RB: Why are you interested in being a part of Joyful Noise III?
DJ: To share our music ministry with more people and to be a part of what God is doing in our community.
RB: Music ministry can be very effective. Why do you think that music is such a powerful tool for ministry?
DJ: Music makes us feel and pay attention to words and stirs us on the inside. God sometimes uses music to bring us to a new place--so that we experience Him in a new way and consider anew how we should live.
RB: What's in your CD player right now?
DJ: I listen to an eclectic mix of music--Broadway musicals, classical music, Christian rock, praise music an bluegrass gospel.
Thanks a lot to Dave for taking the time for the interview and to all of Living Water for being with us on June 20. They'll lead off the music for the day at 11:15. |
